amanda castleman - sidebars for moviemaker puerto vallarta

Moviemaker Magazine
Winter 2004

Sidebars for Puerto Vallarta, A Town 'Built on a Film'
F our Decades of the Iguana: Sun, Sin and Celluloid in Puerto Vallarta

Film Festival
From November 6–14, Puerto Vallarta celebrates the first Film Festival of the Americas. Over 50 movies will screen, many free at the Rio Cuale Island each evening. Events include a fiesta, art expo, jazz concert, fashion show and galas.
"In the spirit of my father – who worked in the studio system and outside of it – it will be about films that go against the flow," said actor Danny Huston, who supports the festival, as does his sister Anjelica.

Robert Roessel, the festival’s executive director, added: "In addition to the Huston "Mavericks", we also are awarding the Elizabeth Taylor Humanitarian Award, this year to the music group Maná for its foundation Selva Negra, which helps protect the planet that we all share." The festival has a strong tree-hugger bent, with environmental outreach programs in 96 local schools. Contact: Scala Building 303, Mismaloya Highway 479, Alta Vista, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, 48380; 322 222-3593; www.puertovallartafilm.com.

Where to eat
The weeklong celebration overlaps with the somewhat over-trumped 10th International Gourmet Festival. Make no mistake, however, Puerto Vallarta is a foodie haven – year-round. Look beyond the beer-and-burrito buffets and street vendors hawking unrefrigerated lips, brains and tongues.

Los Xitomates deeply respects regional Mexican cuisine and manages a distinctive, contemporary spin on Pre-columbian produce like tomatoes and chocolate. Amiable, ambling Chef Luis Jesús Fitch turns out mushrooms stuffed with cuitlacoche – black fungi found only on corn – and three-chile octopus (Morelos 570, Centro; 322 222-1694; www.losxitomates.com). Newcomer El Arrayán also reveres indigenous ingredients, such as plantains, cactus paddles and myrtle. The unfussy, eloquent dishes match the bohemian spirit of the setting, as comfortable as soft, sun-bleached linen (344 Allende, corner of Maramar, Centro; 322 222-7195).

Café des Artistes now boasts a champagne room, plus a brandy and cigar salon (Guadalupe Sanchez 740, Centro; 322 222-3228; www.cafedesartistes.com). Grand dame Daiquiri Dick’s outgrew its beachy name years ago. The seaside spot has a casual elegance: expect tuxedo service with sand in your shoes. The food is without borders, a rollicking joyride of international flavours not normally found in a Mexican resort. Chef Rafael A. Nazario, recently honoured at the James Beard Institute, crafted the menu – fusion cuisine served sans pretence (Olas Altas 314, Col. E. Zapata; 322 222-0566; www.ddpv.com).

Lighter and quicker options include the Planeta Vegetariano buffet (Iturbide 270, Centro; 322 222-3073. Web: www.planetavegetariano.com) and Barcelona Tapas. Enjoy paella, garlic potatoes, fried banannas and other appetisers on a rooftop terrace that surveys the swooping coastline (Matamoros and 31 de Octobre, Centro; 322 222-0510).

Where to drink
"PV", as the expats say, has numerous watering holes, some playing to the spring break, wet-boxer-competition crowd, like garish Carlos O’ Brian’s and Senior Frog’s; others push throat-stripping tequila. "That’s where the 40-to-60-year-olds drink themselves to death," Roessel announced, gesturing towards a $1.50 margarita bar. "They bring a burro in there at night. It’s a big hit."

Local scenesters salsa at La Bodeguita del Medio on the malecón, the seaside promenade. Savour live music, mojitos and cigars from Cuba – home to its rum-soaked namesake, allegedly Hemingway’s favorite restaurant (Paseo Díaz Ordaz at Allende; 322 223-1585; www.labodeguita.com).

Garbo’s Piano Bar mixes up witty little cocktails, catering primarily to gay guests. Puerto Vallarta sometimes bills itself as "the San Francisco of the South": tourists’ plump wallets encourage tolerance, but homosexuals won’t meet many Mexican compatriots out and about (Pulpito 142, Olas Altas; 322 229-7309).

The brick arches and spartan walls of de Santos continue to attract giddy young things, especially the disco and open-air, rooftop bar (Morelos 771 Centro; 322 223-3052; www.desantos.com.mx). Meanwhile, the glitterati lounge on bamboo beds at Nikki Beach, the latest luxe at the Westin (Paseo de la Marina Sur 250, Marina Vallarta; 322 226-1150; www.nikkibeach.com).

Where to recover
When the sun, sin and celluloid grow too wearisome, head for the hills, home to Terra Noble Art and Healing Center. Harp music ripples through the primitive villa, whose hand-sculpted adobe earned a nod from Architectural Digest in 1996. Proprietor Jorge Rubio allows spa guests wander through his home, fingering the ferns, driftwood and ethnic throw pillows.

"I like to share my lifestyle," the artist chuckled, hanging a dishtowel on a jawbone in the outdoor kitchen. The complex’s design meshes African, Mexican and Indian elements, much like the international cures on offer: massage, sea-salt exfoliation, tarot reading, clay modeling and an Aztec sweat lodge (temazcalli), where visitors can chant their way to higher consciousness (Tulipanes 595; Fraccionamiento Lomas de Terra Noble; 322 223-3530; www.terranoble.com).

Where to stay
Many of Puerto Vallarta’s hotels lie inconveniently far from city centre, like the Four Seasons, 40 minutes north of the airport at the unspoilt Punta Mita. Even the spectacular Westin, consistently ranked among the world’s best places to stay, is a ten-minute taxi away (Paseo de la Marina Sur 205, Marina Vallarta; 322 226-1100; www.westinpv.com). However glamorous, these resorts are isolated: better for honeymooners craving sun, sea and solitude than travellers curious about local culture.

Footloose guests prefer the Villa Premiere Hotel and Spa, just north of the statue-studded malecón and cobbled centro. This five-star boutique hotel has white walls, terracotta roof tiles and several turquoise-tiled pools, fringing Banderas Bay. Splurge on a suite, boasting not one, but two, Jacuzzis (the balcony tub overlooks the beach or bask in the bathroom by candlelight). Some noise wafts over from the neighbouring resort in the afternoons, as guests conga around an over-amplified master-of-ceremonies. Otherwise it’s serene, elegant and utterly gracious (San Salvador 117, Col. 5 de Diciembre; 322 226-7040; www.premiereonline.com.mx).

The Presidente Intercontinental snuggles in a golden cove – the softest, sandiest private beach the area has to offer. Management even curtails the tchochke hawkers, limiting their number to four and policing their behaviour. The lobby’s sleek, chic modernity stretches too thin in the rooms, which veer toward echoing, white-tiled enormity. Still the aromatherapy, flowers and music elevate the tone, especially the nightly surprises like glass-bead flowers or rose petals strewn on the bed. Restaurant Da Antonio imports Provimi veal for the Osso Buco, one of many solid Italian offerings (322 223-2088). This lush complex, complete with a tropical-foliage-fringed waterfall, lies 8.5km south of town, so a rental car is recommended (Carretera Puerto Vallarta a Barra de Navidad; 322 228-0191; www.intercontinental.com/puertovallarta).

Transport
Twelve major carriers – including Aeromexico, America West, Alaska, Continental, Delta and Mexicana – fly to Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, the International Airport (PVR). Taxis are around 48 pesos into town and 62 back, due to obscure zoning laws. Local buses, charging about with exhilarating abandon, cost just 4 pesos for the same trip (catch a service marked "centro", but not "tunel", on the street opposite the airport parking lot. Dollar rents cars from 180 pesos per day (US 1-800-800-3665; Mexico 523 223-1354; http://puertovallarta.dollar.com), as do other international companies.

"Liz Taylor upstaged
the entire 1964 film
with her saucy
shenanigans."

"Running on Mexican
time," is an expat
euphemism for "late".
Late not as we know it,
mere minutes past due,
but days late.

Back to the portfolio

Moviemaker Magazine Winter 2004		Sidebars for Puerto Vallarta, A Town 'Built on a Film' F our Decades of the Iguana: Sun, Sin and Celluloid in Puerto Vallarta
		Film Festival From November 6–14, Puerto Vallarta celebrates the first Film Festival of the Americas. Over 50 movies will screen, many free at the Rio Cuale Island each evening. Events include a fiesta, art expo, jazz concert, fashion show and galas. "In the spirit of my father – who worked in the studio system and outside of it – it will be about films that go against the flow," said actor Danny Huston, who supports the festival, as does his sister Anjelica. Robert Roessel, the festival’s executive director, added: "In addition to the Huston "Mavericks", we also are awarding the Elizabeth Taylor Humanitarian Award, this year to the music group Maná for its foundation Selva Negra, which helps protect the planet that we all share." The festival has a strong tree-hugger bent, with environmental outreach programs in 96 local schools. Contact: Scala Building 303, Mismaloya Highway 479, Alta Vista, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, 48380; 322 222-3593; www.puertovallartafilm.com. Where to eat The weeklong celebration overlaps with the somewhat over-trumped 10th International Gourmet Festival. Make no mistake, however, Puerto Vallarta is a foodie haven – year-round. Look beyond the beer-and-burrito buffets and street vendors hawking unrefrigerated lips, brains and tongues. Los Xitomates deeply respects regional Mexican cuisine and manages a distinctive, contemporary spin on Pre-columbian produce like tomatoes and chocolate. Amiable, ambling Chef Luis Jesús Fitch turns out mushrooms stuffed with cuitlacoche – black fungi found only on corn – and three-chile octopus (Morelos 570, Centro; 322 222-1694; www.losxitomates.com). Newcomer El Arrayán also reveres indigenous ingredients, such as plantains, cactus paddles and myrtle. The unfussy, eloquent dishes match the bohemian spirit of the setting, as comfortable as soft, sun-bleached linen (344 Allende, corner of Maramar, Centro; 322 222-7195). Café des Artistes now boasts a champagne room, plus a brandy and cigar salon (Guadalupe Sanchez 740, Centro; 322 222-3228; www.cafedesartistes.com). Grand dame Daiquiri Dick’s outgrew its beachy name years ago. The seaside spot has a casual elegance: expect tuxedo service with sand in your shoes. The food is without borders, a rollicking joyride of international flavours not normally found in a Mexican resort. Chef Rafael A. Nazario, recently honoured at the James Beard Institute, crafted the menu – fusion cuisine served sans pretence (Olas Altas 314, Col. E. Zapata; 322 222-0566; www.ddpv.com). Lighter and quicker options include the Planeta Vegetariano buffet (Iturbide 270, Centro; 322 222-3073. Web: www.planetavegetariano.com) and Barcelona Tapas. Enjoy paella, garlic potatoes, fried banannas and other appetisers on a rooftop terrace that surveys the swooping coastline (Matamoros and 31 de Octobre, Centro; 322 222-0510). Where to drink "PV", as the expats say, has numerous watering holes, some playing to the spring break, wet-boxer-competition crowd, like garish Carlos O’ Brian’s and Senior Frog’s; others push throat-stripping tequila. "That’s where the 40-to-60-year-olds drink themselves to death," Roessel announced, gesturing towards a $1.50 margarita bar. "They bring a burro in there at night. It’s a big hit." Local scenesters salsa at La Bodeguita del Medio on the malecón, the seaside promenade. Savour live music, mojitos and cigars from Cuba – home to its rum-soaked namesake, allegedly Hemingway’s favorite restaurant (Paseo Díaz Ordaz at Allende; 322 223-1585; www.labodeguita.com). Garbo’s Piano Bar mixes up witty little cocktails, catering primarily to gay guests. Puerto Vallarta sometimes bills itself as "the San Francisco of the South": tourists’ plump wallets encourage tolerance, but homosexuals won’t meet many Mexican compatriots out and about (Pulpito 142, Olas Altas; 322 229-7309). The brick arches and spartan walls of de Santos continue to attract giddy young things, especially the disco and open-air, rooftop bar (Morelos 771 Centro; 322 223-3052; www.desantos.com.mx). Meanwhile, the glitterati lounge on bamboo beds at Nikki Beach, the latest luxe at the Westin (Paseo de la Marina Sur 250, Marina Vallarta; 322 226-1150; www.nikkibeach.com). Where to recover When the sun, sin and celluloid grow too wearisome, head for the hills, home to Terra Noble Art and Healing Center. Harp music ripples through the primitive villa, whose hand-sculpted adobe earned a nod from Architectural Digest in 1996. Proprietor Jorge Rubio allows spa guests wander through his home, fingering the ferns, driftwood and ethnic throw pillows. "I like to share my lifestyle," the artist chuckled, hanging a dishtowel on a jawbone in the outdoor kitchen. The complex’s design meshes African, Mexican and Indian elements, much like the international cures on offer: massage, sea-salt exfoliation, tarot reading, clay modeling and an Aztec sweat lodge (temazcalli), where visitors can chant their way to higher consciousness (Tulipanes 595; Fraccionamiento Lomas de Terra Noble; 322 223-3530; www.terranoble.com). Where to stay Many of Puerto Vallarta’s hotels lie inconveniently far from city centre, like the Four Seasons, 40 minutes north of the airport at the unspoilt Punta Mita. Even the spectacular Westin, consistently ranked among the world’s best places to stay, is a ten-minute taxi away (Paseo de la Marina Sur 205, Marina Vallarta; 322 226-1100; www.westinpv.com). However glamorous, these resorts are isolated: better for honeymooners craving sun, sea and solitude than travellers curious about local culture. Footloose guests prefer the Villa Premiere Hotel and Spa, just north of the statue-studded malecón and cobbled centro. This five-star boutique hotel has white walls, terracotta roof tiles and several turquoise-tiled pools, fringing Banderas Bay. Splurge on a suite, boasting not one, but two, Jacuzzis (the balcony tub overlooks the beach or bask in the bathroom by candlelight). Some noise wafts over from the neighbouring resort in the afternoons, as guests conga around an over-amplified master-of-ceremonies. Otherwise it’s serene, elegant and utterly gracious (San Salvador 117, Col. 5 de Diciembre; 322 226-7040; www.premiereonline.com.mx). The Presidente Intercontinental snuggles in a golden cove – the softest, sandiest private beach the area has to offer. Management even curtails the tchochke hawkers, limiting their number to four and policing their behaviour. The lobby’s sleek, chic modernity stretches too thin in the rooms, which veer toward echoing, white-tiled enormity. Still the aromatherapy, flowers and music elevate the tone, especially the nightly surprises like glass-bead flowers or rose petals strewn on the bed. Restaurant Da Antonio imports Provimi veal for the Osso Buco, one of many solid Italian offerings (322 223-2088). This lush complex, complete with a tropical-foliage-fringed waterfall, lies 8.5km south of town, so a rental car is recommended (Carretera Puerto Vallarta a Barra de Navidad; 322 228-0191; www.intercontinental.com/puertovallarta). Transport Twelve major carriers – including Aeromexico, America West, Alaska, Continental, Delta and Mexicana – fly to Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, the International Airport (PVR). Taxis are around 48 pesos into town and 62 back, due to obscure zoning laws. Local buses, charging about with exhilarating abandon, cost just 4 pesos for the same trip (catch a service marked "centro", but not "tunel", on the street opposite the airport parking lot. Dollar rents cars from 180 pesos per day (US 1-800-800-3665; Mexico 523 223-1354; http://puertovallarta.dollar.com), as do other international companies.
"Liz Taylor upstaged the entire 1964 film with her saucy shenanigans."

"Running on Mexican time," is an expat euphemism for "late". Late not as we know it, mere minutes past due, but days late.

		*Back to the portfolio*